Bass of the Week: Conklin Guitars OM
This week we’re checking out a collaboration between Conklin Guitars and Jason Everett called the OM Bass. The bass is a seven-string fretless that is fitted with several interesting features to suit the bassist’s world music style.
Its pickups are a pair of custom Bartolinis along with a set of GraphTECH Ghost piezos in individual saddlebridges. Besides EQing, the OM Bass is set up for MIDI capability with a GraphTECH Hexpander 13-pin hexaphonic output.
The neck is a seven-piece laminate of zebrawood and wenge matched to a walnut body. “Jason’s version also features exotic top woods (Cocobolo and Yellowheart) with a stunning OM Symbol on the fingerboard which is finished with an ultra-hard polyester finish,” Conklin writes. Another cool feature is the addition of Hipshot Xtender keys to the A and D strings for tuning flexibility.
“I often play modally with resonant open strings,” Everett shares. “Most of those pieces are in E, D, or A. The drop keys on the low E and B strong allow me to incorporate those lower strings as part of the sonic pallet when appropriate.”
Check out this clip of Everett putting the OM Bass to good use:
Conklin Guitars Jason Everett Signature OM Bass Specs:
| Scale: | 34″ |
| Body: | Walnut |
| Top: | Cocobolo and Yellowheart |
| Neck: | Zebrawood/Wenge |
| Pickups: | Custom Bartolini, GraphTECH Ghost Piezo System |
| Electronics: | Active, with MIDI Capability |
| Outputs: | 1/4″ and GraphTECH Hexpander 13-pin Hexaphonic |
| Tuners: | Hipshot with Xtender Keys on A and D strings |
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
Cool bass. I am curious, how does the Hipshot Xtender on the E string work? Doesn’t the lever hit the B string tuner when the tension is released?